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A retired American general predicted that “neither Israel nor the US will completely succeed in replacing the Iranian regime.”
Former Lieutenant General Mark Schwartz was quoted by the Israel Hayom newspaper as making the comment. The joint US and Israeli missions against Iran, called Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion, entered their 20th day on Thursday.
“In my professional assessment, neither Israel nor the US will be completely successful in replacing the Iranian regime. The main reason is that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of Iranian religious leaders who could replace the Supreme Leader Ayatollah if he were removed,” Schwartz told Israel Hayom.
He reportedly said, “No matter how many successors you kill one after another, there will always be another in line. There is also depth in Iran’s intelligence and security apparatus, the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian military. If the organization is destroyed they are capable of replacing its top.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ‘acting wrongly’, not controlling regime: Sources
Retired Lieutenant General Mark Schwartz, left, and Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, right. (US State Department; Rouhollah Vahdati/ISNA/WANA via Reuters)
According to The National Special Forces Green Beret Memorial, Schwartz is a career Green Beret who served in the U.S. Army for 33 years, where he is chairman of the advisory board.
“During his career, Mark served throughout the Middle East, Europe and North Africa,” the organization said, and, “he has had the opportunity to lead strategic planning and operations, working with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States Agency for International Development.”
Pentagon seeks at least $200 billion from Congress for Iran war
Recent footage shared by US Central Command shows attacks on airplanes during the Iran war. (US Central Command at X)
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard warned Wednesday that if the Iranian regime survives Operation Epic Fury, “it will likely seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its military, missiles, and UAV forces.”
Gabbard also said the intelligence community assesses that Operation Epic Fury is advancing fundamental change in the region, which began with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and continued with last year’s 12-day war, resulting in the weakening of Iran and its proxies.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed at the beginning of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026. (Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran via Getty Images)
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The campaign so far has resulted in the assassination of former Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been replaced by his son Mojtaba Khamenei.
